Circular knitting machine and method of knitting



May 21, 1946.

W. E. BOOTON ET AL CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD OF KNITTING Filed Sept. 7, 1945 FJ IQ F] I 38' -LHIIIIIIYIIHHIIIIHII IHHHH HIIIW FJL FJT Ur FJL 9 Sheets-Sheet 1 I nventors By I Aitorney? y 21, 1945- w. E. BQOTON ET AL 2,400,805

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I CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD OF KNITTING Filled Sept. 7., 1945 9 Sheet's-Sheet 4 0 ace Invent ons A Home y 1945- w. BOOTON ET AL 2,400,805

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD OF KNITTING Filed Sept. 7, 1943 9 Sheets-Sheet 5 F/eamat.

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w. E. BOOTON ET Al 2,400,805 CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD OFKNITTING Fil ed Sept. 7, 1945 9 Sheets-Sheet 6 Inventors By ttorney May 21, 1946. w. E. BOOTON ET AL 2,400,805

CIRCULAR KNiTTING MACHINE AND METHOD OF KNITTI NG I Filed Sept. 7, 1945 I 9 Sheets-Sheet '1 i l l i I .l l

m 2 2 i :I a E 20'c I o I z I I/ i I 3 Inventors I! I By Etforne? May 21, 1946. w. E. BCQJOTON ET AL 2,400,805

--CIRCULAR KNITTING-MACHINE AND METHOD OF KNITTING Filed Sept. 7, 1943 I 9 Sheets-Sheet 8- F/G. Z 5/ /52a ll 4 50rl c In ventors Attorne y 21, w. E. BOOTON ET AL 2,400,805

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD OF KNITTING Filed Sept. '7, 1943 '9 Sheets-Sheet 9 In ventora By Attorney Patented May 21, 1946 1 UNITED STATES? PATENT v 1 CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE METHOD OF KNITTING William Edward Booton, Leicester, and Horace Witts, Peatling Magna, near Leice assignors to W. E. B

, England r, England,

ooton Limited, Leicester, I

Application September 7. 19b3, Serial No. 501,488

This invention is for improvements in and relating to the manufacture of hose (which expression includes stockings, three quarter hose and half-hose) and like articles knit in the main by rotation (and primarily those knit in substantially tubular form), but having at least one integral pocket or pouch; the invention also relates;

to the articles themselves and to a circular knitting machine for their manufacture. The invention is concerned with the production of the heel or toe, or both, in hose and with machinesfor knitting hose with suchpockets Her'etofore in the production of hose and the like on a circular knitting machine, irrespective, of whether such articles have been produced in it'ruly seamless form or have been fashioned by an upwardly convergent gap at theback of the leg the edges of which are subsequently seamed together, it has been the usual practice to knit the leg and foot by relative rotation between the needle bed, and

the knitting camsand the thread feeder, but to produce the heel and toe pockets by oscillation In Great Britain May 25,1942

10 Claims. (01. ii648).

of heel needlescontinue to Accordingto a subsidiary feature of the invention thetoe isproduced as a single, tapering width of fabric by con trolling the number of needles in knitting activity.

These needles which knit the toe may comprise instep needles as contrasted to theheelins needies which knit the heel pocket. The heel may be 7 produced bycausing the instepneedles to hold their loops continuing to knit on the heel needles duringrotation, and flnallyre-introducing the instep needles into activity. In an alternative '3 the heeling needles may knit by oscillation. As V a result there is produced a bandof heel fabric 1 which is continuous with that of the leg and foot bottom and at its commencement and termina- .tion is united withjsuccessive courses of themstep but at itsedges is disconnected from thein- 1 step. These edges therefore define holes in the fabric and will, according to the method of manufactu're, be distinguished either cut end of yarn,

or floating thread, or will be selvedged. 'In the between the needle bed, and the knitting cams and thread feeder. The present invention provides a method and machine whereby theheel,

or toe, or both may be knitted by rotation between said parts, and the expressions rotation and rotary knitting" as hereinafter employed are employed to differentiate the invention from suchoscillation.

Viewed from one aspect the invention provides subsequent steps in the production I of the finished hose or the like this band of fabric is-severed from the foot bottom andthe said edges are united by linking or seamingto the initialcourseof the foot bottom (their length being the same in amethod for themachine manufacture of a A ting which comprises fashioning the leg by the controlof the number of needles in knitting activity to produce an upwardly converging gap in the back of the rotary-knit leg fabric, and problank for a hose or the like mainly by rotary knitducing heel parts united at their ends to the fabric of the back of the leg and of the foot bottomby knitting on two spaced groups of needles, one at'each side of the gap left by inactive-1eg-fashioning needles, while temporarily restraining instep needles, located between said groups, from knittingactivity. The invention also includes a machine organised for the production of'hose and like blanks mainly -by'rotation, having needles, including two spaced groups of heel needles with fashioning needles between said groups at one side and instep needles-between them at the other, means for producing a fashioned leg by varying the number of fashioning needles in activity during rotary knitting and for thereby forming atapering gap up the back of the leg fabric, and means for producing loops of heel fabric by temporarily restraining the instepneedies from knitting activity while the two groups as that of said initial course) and the cut edges of the heel band are seamed together. This'latter seam may be continuous with the seam bywhich the edge of the fashioning gap are seamed t ether. p

The inventionfurther includes the articles'of manufacture. The machine may embody the;

features claimed in any or all of the claims of U. S. Patents Nos. 2,105,965, 2,271,386, 2,290,147,

and 2,291,576 and/or described in the speciflca- 1 tions ofanyone of these patents. 0

, The foregoing and other features of the invention set'out in the appended claims are incorporated in the examples now to be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in

which: 1

Figure 1 shows the stocking blank laid out flat, and also shows the needle and jack and the ar- Figure 7 shows a battery of pickers employed in splicing and fashioning. V V

Figure 8 is a perspective view of a battery of pickers employed for mock-fashioning.

Figure 9 is a perspectiveview looking from underneath ofa portion of the last said battery.

Figure 10 is an elevation showing the lower part of the needle cylinder, and illustrating the arrangement and control of picker mechanisms fbaCkOf the leg to fashion said leg. In this blank the heel is produced, not'in the form of a pocket as is customary, but in the form of two extra strip-like lengths of fabric, one at each sideof the said gap, each of which is united at one end to the high heel. and atthe other end to the roups of heel'needles- HN with fashioning needles FN between them atone side and instep needles IN between them at the other side.

The knitting machine is preferably provided with twodiametricallyppposedknitting systems indicated at I and=2in Fig-.2in each system there being knitting camsof the conventional kind and a battery of interchangeable yarn feeders indicated respectively atF, F. Those cams and other part which are duplicated in each of the two systems have the same reference numbers and letters, those in system 2-being diflerentiated from those in system I by being primed. Thus in system I there are stitch cams 20 and I20 and guide cam 2I andif desired up pickers 22, I22 and down pickers 23, and I23, of the-conventional kind. The corresponding parts in system 2 will be recognised, as for example, stitch cams 20, I20 and guide cam 2|.

At thetermination of one stocking blank all the needles are in knitting activity their butts I2 traversing an active track I3. It is now necessary to press off all the needles with the exception of the central group LB. To do so cams foot bottom and has its innermargin free from the instep fabric so that it protrudes as a kind, of

loop. When the stocking blankhas been completed and removed fromthe machine the floating threadsare out out, the lower edge of each heel loop is separated from the'initial course of the adjacent foot bottom, the inner margins of th lheel loops are seamed to the initial courses of the foot bottom, and the edges of the blank are seamed together down the legend along the foot, said seaming unitingthe outer edges of the heel parts and the several courses thereof. The

blance to a. French. foot stocking. r

. I The needle cylinder is provided with a full com- F T-en pli yed for; fashioningthe toe having mediumibutts, and-the lacks FJL employed for fashioning the leg. having short-butts. Spaced jacks i. e-. every second-or: third jack ha' a picot butt at "level- 39, some" of these picot butts beingshorter than {others topermit the insertionf'of a picot c'amlfi hereinafter mentioned.- At level 38 butts arev provided on a leading group FJ- of fashioningjacks thatare located beneath the left-hand groups of needles SB'and SBX, while at the rear endof said group a few jacks of group TJ have butts '38. Similarly the righthand of trailing group of fashioning jacks FJ'has butts 31 while a. few of theadjacent jacks TJ have butts 31-; v the said trailing group of jacks FJ likewise has butts 36.- A- right-hand group of splicingjacks SJ is'provided with butts at level 35 and'a left hand group of splicing' jacks is provi'ded with butts ,--a t level 34, while at the trailing end of the last rnentioned group a few jacks'are provided with butts 34'. By means of these various jack butt the-needles may-be divided into two spaced 24, 25 and 26 are temporarily inserted. Cam 24 raises all the long butts LB above cam 26, cam 25 raise the needles SB and SBX to clear and the said needles are then lowered by cam. 26 so as to pass down passageway IE to an inactive track I4 and to press off their loops. Assuming that knitting is to proceed in system 2 all the movable cams are out of operation with the excepstocking thus produced bear a certain resemtion of clearing cam I20, the needles LB remaining in activity therefore clear at cam I 20', take thread from the appropriate feeder of group F and descend cams 2| and 20 to knit. A few roving an'd/or slack courses 1' aretherefore produced on these needles, and it is then necessary progressively to introduce needles at either side of the active group so as to widen the toe t as shown in Fig. 1. Thi fashioning is effected by are now rendered operative.

means of the toe fashioning jacks FJT, the butts 31 and 38, and the pickers 31a and 38a, 38b which These pickers and their operation areas described in U. S. patent specifications Nos. 2,290,147 and 2,291,576. Cam 42 is inserted to engage the long butts of jacks TJ so that the said butt thereafter follow the active track I6. Considering the right-hand group of fashioning jacks FJ, the butts 31 thereof will reach picker 31a at a lower level than the adjacent butts; 31' and so the picker 31a is adapted to operate in known manner to pick the first butt reachin it and to elevate the butt 40 of said jack into the passage I8 so as to reach the active track Hi. The butt I2 on the adjacent needle is thus passed up passage I5 from the inactive track I4 to theqactive track I3 so that the said needle thereafter knits. Considering the left-hand group of fashioning jacks, the 'butts 38 will, owing to the elevationpf jacks TJ, reach the picker mechanism 38a, 3812 at a higher level than the adjacent butts 38. The first control butt 38' strikes the driving arm 38a and swings the latter sideways, said am drives the picker arm 38b which swings sideways, and upwards and picks the last butt 38 upwards, so that the corresponding needle is introduced into activity in the manner just described. This picking continues until all the jacks FJT have been picked and all the needles IN and HN are in activity, and is terminated by putting the picker mechanism out of operation. During the widening, however,

mock fashion marks indicated at I may be probe appreciated'that' by the toe widening operations all'the splicing jacks SJ have been elevated duced parallel to the 'sel've'dge edges in a manner hereinafter "described;

wh he ee i ma as.i ntempted knitting 'prdceeds in bot systeri s so that two courses are produced at each rotation. That is to say cams 2t and izu'together'with'the appropriate feederof' group F are introduced. Aiew' unfashidned courses are made and then'splicing commences to produce the spliced sole areas $8. This splicing involves the introduction of a splicing feederjin e'achof feeder groups F, F and the jack cams; 30' which are adapted to raise certain needleshigher than the corresponding clearingcams I20, 'I 20" so that the-needles'thus raised take thesphcingthread whilethe needles not soraised by cams 30, 30? take the main thread only, cams lzll and I20 beingwithdrawn and needle-clearing cams 24 and ZS-inserted. It will into activity, the long buttjacks TJ having pre viously been raised bycam 42. Hence, unless measures are taken to prevent it, the splicing will initially be carried out on all the active needles. This may be prevented by lowering the jacks when the splicing has been widened (desirably until it extends into the 'insteplneedles IN so that the corners of the heel are reinforced) at.

the termination of the foot'fS the 'pickers are rendered irioperativeand it isnow necessary to:

produce the heel partsh; The said partsinay be' knitted either b y reciprocationor by continued rotation.

TJ by means of cam 28. If this step only is taken,

the needles'LB will not splice; but if before splicing commences of any required number of jacks ateach end of group TJ are picked up again (by means 31a, 38a, 38b as hereinafter described for widening the spliced areas) some or the needles LB will splice. It'is now desirable to narrow the spliced areas by progressively lowering the last jacks of the left-hand group SJ and theleading jacks of the right-hand groupSJ;

Thisis effected by down'picker 35c and picker mechanism 34a, 3412 (now placed in operation) in the manner described in theaforesaid patent The first jack butt 35' strikes specification. picker 35c and is lowered so that itsbutt passes down the passageway l9 to the inactive track i1.

The said jack therefore fails to be "raised at the next rotation by cams 30'; 30 andits associated needle will miss the splicing thread. Consider ing the left-hand group of Jack's SJ, the butts" 34 are at a somewhat higher level than the trail ing butts 34'. The latter strike the driving arm 34a and swing it sideways; This causes the picking arm 34b to swing sideways and downwards to lower the last buttof group 34 and thereby to lower the associated jack and tc' prevent-the associated needle from splicing." These operations proceed until the spliced areas SS are rep duced ,tothe, desired width when the splicing f pickers are rendered inoperative and rotary knitting continues. Subsequently just before the heel it is necessary, to widen thejspliced area's slightly. This widen ing is effected by" means of butts 34 and 35,.picker 34c and picker mechanism 35a, 35!) (now placed inoperation) as described in the aforementioned patent specification. By mechanism 34a,-34b thebutts 34 have 7 been divided into a'raised leading sub-group and a lowered trailing sub-group. The first butt of thetrailing sub-groupstrikespicker 34c and is picked. up so that the associated needle resumes 1 'splicing activity, By the operation of. picker 35c the group 35 has beenidivided into a low leading sub-group and a raised trailing sub-group. The

first butt of the trailing sub-group strikes arm 35a and swingsit sideways to cause arm35b to swing sideways and upwards and to pick up the last butt of the leading sub-'group"thereby causing the associated needle to resume splicing activity. a

If the heel parts here to be products-by re -T ciprocation, cam' ismomentarily insertedtol raise the instep needles 113 (having butts LBand SB) to a high loop holding level '(Fig;x 3)j leav-. ing only the two groups of heel needles HN activeli All the movable cams except 20. and are" retracted, the machine comes into reciprocation, in known manner and the up pickers; 12 2 and the "down pickers '23" and I32"-are rendered u erative. The two groups of needles HN 'thereE-f fore continue to knit at system I (floats beinglai'd the machine changes over'to rotary knitting.

If the heel loops or strips hare to be produced by rotary knitting then thepickersln, I22 etc. are either omitted from the machine or are not utilised. 1nstead off'cam I20, bolt cams 120a, |20b;"Fig. 4, are provided. The cam IZlla is fully ,ins'erted but the cam I201) is: introduced .only f sumciently to engage the buttsSB and 'Therefore saidcani l20b lowers all the needles 7 IN so that they passbeneath cam l20a and neithertake the thread nor clearjtheirioops, but the heel needles HN are raised by cam I201:

to clear their loops and take the fed thread. In this mode of heel production floating threads are produced across the gap left by the inactiveneedles IN between the adjacent inner edges of the heel parts and also across the gap left by the inactive needles FN between the outer edges,-

Of said heelparts.

As soon as the heel has. been completed the various splicing cams are re-introduced and the spliced areas are againna'rrowed to a predetermined width (in the manner before described) and splicinghthen continuessfor the, high heels',

hs. At the top of the high heel partshs the splicing feeders and the. clearing cams and 29 are withdrawn. The active jacks 'TJ and FJT continue'tobe raise'd by cams 30, 30 sothat their needlesclear. said needles knitting at stitch, cams 20 and 24'. Thisrotary knitting continues until it is necessary fashion the leg.

The leg fashioningisiefiiected in thesame manner as the toe fashioning already described and results in the" jacks F31 and the associated neei dles FN being introduced into activity soas gradually to, narrow'the gapextending up the back of the leg. Thisfashioning is'preferably accompanied by the'production of lines of mockfaslb' ion marks I parallel with the edges of the blank. In producing. these frnock fashion marks selected jacks are depressed so that their butts 40 pass.

under the elearin'g jcain 30 and traverse the track IBa'WhichZleadsIthein under the other clearing cam 3Ui thejjsaidjbuttsthen re-enterthe active track I65 As airesult the associated needles tuck ier two courses. The mock fashioning is effected by picker mechanisms 36a, 36b, 38a, 38b in a manner similar tothat described in the aforementioned specification. At this stage the jacks 'FJT and TJ are raised and active and the jacks FJL are .lowered andinactive. Considering first the' production of the mock .fashion marks at the'right-hand edge of the blank (Fig, 1) it will be apparent from the disposition of the cam mechanism 36a, 36b is .rendered active the first If it is desired to make. an ordinary toe pouch by reciprocatiomat the commencement of the stocking only the needles SBX are pressed off,

dles LB. During rotary knitting, cam 2| is slightly withdrawn and cam 3| inserted. All the active needlesHN and IN are raised by cam I20, but the needles HN, having extra short butts, miss cam 2| and pass roundto cam 3| by which they are elevatedto. the inactive loop-holding position. Theneedles IN, having long and short butts, are

, lowered bycams 2 I and 20 and therefore remain butt for the time being of the trailing sub-group strikes the arm 36:; and swings it sideways. By

this movement the arm 36b is swung sideways and lowered so that at least one butt slightly in advance of the trailing end of the leading subgroup is picked downwards. The butt 40 of each jack thus picked downwards ispassed beneath the clearing cam. 30 so that the associated needle tucks for the two courses as just described. Since bythe operation of the fashioning picker 31a hand edge of the .blank' (Fig. 1) it ill again be appreciated that .the butts .38 on the inactive jacks FJL tare at a lower level than the butts 38 oi. the'active jacksFJT and by the operation of t the fashioning picker mechanism 38a, 38b butts in activity, and the toe pouch may be knitted, by reciprocation, on these needles at either of the two knitting systems: preferably in system 2 as described in the aforementioned U. S. Patent specifications Nos. 2,290,147 and 2,291,576.

It will be appreciatedthat any desirable yarn changes maybe efiected during the knitting of the stocking blank, as for example for the production of a stout welt fabric. 7

a The battery of pickers beneath system 2 is shown in Fig. '7. This battery consists of a body 50 carrying a vertical spindle 5| about 1 which picker blocks 52a, 52b, 52c and 52d are pivoted. The block 52a has picker arm 34c pivoted to it for movement about a horizontal axis-53a, and for said arm there isa guide plate 54a and a return spring 55a. The block 52b, provided with return spring 55b, carries the arm a and also has pivoted to it, for movement about a horizontal axis, 5317, the up picker 351). For said picker 35b a guide plate 54b is provided. The block 520 has picker arm 31a pivoted to itfor movement about horizontal axis 530, and said arm is provided with guide p1ate54c and returnspring 550. The block I 52d, provided with return spring 55d carries arm 38 are progressively added from the trailing end. 7

of the low leading sub-group to the trailing end of the high leading sub-group. At each course in which the mock fashioning mechanism 38a,

38b'is operative, the first butt for the time being of the tra'iling sub-group strikes arm 38a and swings it sideways, This movement causes the arm 38b to swing sideways and downwards and the said arm therefore lowers atleast one butt spaced slightly to the rear of said leading end. The butt of each jack thus picked down passes beneath the clearing cam 30 and the associated needle tucks for two courses in'the manner described.

It may be here mentioned that the mock fashion marks 1 in the toet are'produced in a similarmanner. In the case of the right-hand line of marks, initially the butts 31' of the active jacks TJ formthe leading sub-group and the butts 36 of the inactive jacks FJ .formthe trailing subgroup. In the case of the left-hand line of fashioning marks the butts 38' of the active jacks TJ form the trailing sub-group to which butts 38 of jacks FJT are progressively added.

At a subsequentstage in the tubular knitting, after all the needles have-been rendered active, it is desirable to produce a picot edge. The needle cams 20' and I20 and the'jack cam 30' are withdrawn for fourcourses during which the nee dles clear at cam 30 and knit at cam 20. Picot cam is moved inwards to engage the spaced jack butts 38, The butts 40 of the jacks that are thus 1oweredv pass beneath cam 30 and the asin so that all the jacks are lowered to the inac-.

tive position. t v

38a and has picker arm 38b pivoted to it for movement about a horizontal axis 53d, said arm being provided with guide plate Md. The various pickers may be moved to and from operative positions by arms projectingradially from their blocks. Thusblock 52a carries control arms 560.; block 52b, arm 55b; block 52c, arm 56c; and block 52d, arm 56d. 7 a

The various picker-mechanisms shown in Fig. 2 are controlled from a racking pin drum (Fig. 10) surrounding the base of the needle cylinder I 0. Picker 34c and mechanism 35a, 35b, are swung to and from operative position by a rock lever 8l engaging pins 56a, 56b, and connected to a feeler for the pin drum 80. Picker 3'Ia and mechanism 38a, 38b are controlled by rock lever 88 engaging pins 58c, 56d and connected to feeler 90.

The picker mechanisms 34a, 34b and 350 arranged beneath knitting system I' are' substantially similar respectively to the mechanisms 35a, 35b and 34c, and therefore need no further illustration than isprovided by Figs, '7 and 10, but it may bepointed out that whereas picker 34c is an up picker and is located above mechanism 35a, 35b, the splicing narrowing picker 350 is a down picker and is located beneath mechanism 34a, 34b. For mechanism 34a, 34b there is a control pin 56b and for .picker 350 a control pin 56a. The rock lever is indicated at 8| and the feeler at85. v a

The battery of mock-fashioning pickers 36a, 36b, 38a,.38b located in advance of knitting system I is shown in Figs. 8 and 9. There is a body 51 carrying two parallel vertical spindles 58 and 59. Arm 36a projects from a block 60a rotatably mounted on spindle 58. Said block is connected,

, to a block 60b rotatably mounted on spindle 59, is movable by means of connection 6!. The picker arm 36b is mounted on block 60b for movement about plate 63a and a return spring 64a; said block 60b likewise has a control arm 65a. Arm' 38a is atalong the slot by lever i200 andthrust bar l20d; cam 20 is similarly operated. Down picker I23 is idled by bell-crankelever I15 and horizontal axis 62a and is provided with a guide tached to block 66a rotatably mounted on spindle 59 and connected by a connection 6 lb to block 66b rotatably mounted on spindle 58. Block 66b has picker arm 38bpivoted to it for movement about a horizontal'axis 62b and is provided with a return spring 64b. Block 66a has a control arm 65b, Pins 65a, 651) are engaged by rock lever 92 connected to feeler 94.

The mock-fashioning picker mechanism 36a,

2 is similar to that just described and illustrated and needs no further description herein. It isin-' dicated generally at 51 in Fig. 10.

Ingeneral the connections whereby the various cams and other mechanisms hereinbefore referred to are controlled from a suitable control member such as the main drum of ,the machine or a chain or drum, may follow standard practice in knitting machines and little description and illustration thereof is necessary herein, for once the functions of such parts have been described numerous simple controls for them will present themselves toa knitting machine builder without the necessity for invention. Figs. 5 and 6 show the lay-out of the knitting cams and needlepickers. Each said figure is aplan view dealing with approximately. half the circumference of the machine. Fig. 5 relates to knitting system I and Fig. 6 to system 2, and in the twoflguresparts which are duplicated for the two systems (or are mechanical equivalents) are given the same reference numbers, but those in Fig. 6 for system 2 are differentiated by a dash. Dealing first with system I the yarn feeders F are controlled in customary manner by a battery of push rods Ill.

Cams 24 and 25 are operated by a common bfell-crank-lever 24b from bell-crank 24c and thrust bar 24d. Outwardly extending slide parts of these cams are slotted at 24c to accommodate a compression spring 24f, half in each slot, while a stronger spring 24g extends from cam 24 to a slide 24h on which the lever 24b operates- A first inward movement of 24h carries cam 25 inwards to the cylinder and a second inward step of 24k overcomes the compression spring 24! and carries cam 24 into the cylinder.

thrust bar 89a. The up pickers 22 and I22 are connected by a link 22a in a manner customary in B5 machines, whereby when one is operable the other is idle and the displacement of one picker by a butt swings the other into operative position.

'They are both idled by a bell-crank-lever l2 and a thrust bar 1211. Rigidly projecting from the thrust bar 12a there is an arm 1212 which projects beneath the horizontal arm of a bell-crank-lever 10a, the vertical arm of which is connected to cam 2 I' by alink 10. An adjustment screw 10b at the top of the vertical arm' of the bell-crank-lever 10c overlies the said horizontal arm of bell-cranklever 10a. The bell-cr'ank-lever 100 is pivoted to the machine frame and its horizontal arm is pivoted to a member 10d depending rigidlyfrom the arm 12b that projects from'the thrust bar 12a.

7 Down picker 23 is idled by bell-crank-lever l5 and thrustbai I6, and cam 3| is controlled by bell-crank and 361), and 3811,3812 in advance of knitting system i thrust bar I16, and cam 29 is operated by lever 86, bell-crank-lever 86a and thrust bar 81.

The foregoing parts arein'general duplicated in Fig. 6 with reference numerals with a dash,

but in this case theup pickers 22' and- I22 are not interconnected as are the pickers 22,122 but are provided with their respective idling) levers 12' and H2 operated by thrust. rods; Cam32 is controlled by pin 32a projecting fromits slide bar and a bell-crank lever 32d operatedbyathrust bar 320. Cam 26 is controlled by bell-crank-lever 61 and a thrust rod, and cam 44 by bell cranklever 69' anda thrust rod."

We claim;

1.. A method for the machine manufacture of a blank forfla hose or the like mainly by rotary knitting, which comprises fashioning the leg by the control of thenumber ofneedles inknitting L activity to rproducean. upwardly converging gap in the back of the rotary-knit leg fabric, and produci'rig heel parts united only at their ends to the fabric of the back of the legand of the foot bottombyfknitting a strip vofjfalcric oneach of two temporarily restraining instepneedles, located spaced groups ofneedles, one at each side of the gap left by inactive leg-fashioning needles, while between said groups, from knitting activity.

2. Amethod for the machine manufacture of a blank for a hose or the like mainly by rotary knitting on, a machine comprising a group-of instep needles, a group of heelneedles flanking it the instep needleshold their loops; returning the instep needles to activity and continuing rotary knitting on the heel and instep'needles with the formation of floats across the gap and, during said rotary knitting, progressively introducing the hitherto-inactive needles into activity at each side of the gap toform a fashioned leg.

3. A circular knitting machine organised for V the production of hose and like blanks mainly by rotation, having needles, including two spaced groups of heel needles with fashioning needles between said groups atone side and instep needles between them at the other, means for producing a fashionedleg by varying the number of fashioning needlesin activity during rotary knitting and forthereby forming a taper- This mechanism'ensures that when the cam 2i is introduced it cannot slip out. Cam I20 has a pin |20a projecting from its slide through a slot I20b in the platform of the machine, which pin ing gap up the back of the leg fabric free at their edges but united only at their ends to the fabric of the back of the leg and of the foot bottom, and means for producing strips of heel fabric by temporarily restraining the instep needles from knitting activity while the two groups of heel needles continue to knit.

4. A machine according to claim 3, in which the heel fabric is knitted by reciprocation on a constant number of needles of the heel groups and having means for diverting the instep needles "clearing cam at which the both heel groups reciprocate past and take thread from the same feeder.

6. A machine according to claim 3, having means for temporarily elevating, in each swing,

"the inner end" needle of each heel group so that the fed thread wraps round it.

7. A machine according toclaim 3, in which the heel fabric is knitted by rotation, having a heel needles rise to take thread and means for diverting the instep needles below said cam.

8. A machine according to claim 3, incorporating means for knitting a toe as a single tapering width of fabric by progressively introducing instep and heel needles into knitting activity.

9. A machine according to claim 3,'having two knitting systems for knitting two courses ateach revolution. I

10. A circular knitting machine adapted to knit a hose or like blank mainly 'by rotation,

having-a needle cylinder and a circular complement of needles :herein, the number whereof and the diameter of the circle being that for. the productionof a single blank in substantially tubular form and said needles comprising a group of fashioning needles and a group of instep needles disposed over substantially diametrically opposed parts of the circle and two groups of heel needles interposed between the aforesaid groups, two circumferentially spaced sets of knitting cams and thread feeding means, an active cam track for conducting the needles through each set of cams in turn during rotary knitting so as to produce two courses at each rotation, an inactive track for conducting needles past both sets of cams without knitting, fashioning mechanism for progressively changing instep and heel needles from the inactive to the active track in the production of a tapered toe and for progressively changing fashioning needles from the inactive to the active track during rotary knitting in the production of a fashioned leg, and means for temlporarily suspending knitting on the instep needles while continuing knitting on the two groups of heel needles to produce two lengths of heel fabric each separate at its edge from the instep fabric but united top and bottom with the leg fabric and foot bottom fabric. g

WILLIAM EDWARD BOOTON. HORACE WI'I'IS. 

